Gender Data and SDG Monitoring

About

In 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly, 193 governments committed to a 15-year global development framework called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also known as the 2030 Agenda or the Global Goals, the SDGs will inform significant policy and programmatic interventions and resources through 2030. Implementation of the SDGs has begun in earnest, as have significant monitoring efforts which accompany and enable implementation. Within the SDGs, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is both upheld through a standalone goal (Goal 5), and mainstreamed throughout the other sixteen goals. Gender data is critical for monitoring progress on gender equality and ensuring successful implementation of the entire SDG agenda.

Why it matters

The historic opportunity of the SDGs to transform the critical issues of poverty, inequalities, and climate change coincides with increased attention and momentum around gender data—not entirely coincidentally, as many recognize that gender data is an essential lever for the achievement of the Agenda. However, on SDG monitoring overall, and especially on SDG gender monitoring, there is much work to be done: more than 80% of SDG 5 indicators cannot be measured, and fewer than one-quarter of the key gender indicators across the SDGs have adequate information for tracking. In addition, only 13% of countries worldwide dedicate a regular budget to collecting and analyzing gender statistics.[1]

Partnering with Data2X

Data2X is engaged in several partnerships on gender data within SDG monitoring.

Ready to Measure: Sixteen Indicators for Monitoring SDG Gender Targets (R2M)
In partnership with Open Data Watch, Data2X researchers identified a set of indicators that are Ready to Measure, to kick-start gender monitoring for the SDGs. R2M focuses on a limited but available set of indicators that can be used to establish a gender baseline for early monitoring of the SDGs, while concurrent processes develop methodologies and standards for other indicators in the framework.

UN Women’s Making Every Woman and Girl Count Flagship Program Initiative
Data2X is on the Steering Committee for UN Women’s flagship program initiative on gender statistics, “Making Every Woman and Girl Count.” The flagship program will support governments to improve the production and use of gender statistics to monitor the SDGs, including by strengthening policy and accountability. Actions include: creating an enabling policy and institutional environment; supporting efforts to improve the regular production of gender statistics through strengthening technical capacity; and promoting greater access and analysis of data by users, including for policy and advocacy.

Equal Measures 2030 (EM2030)
Data2X is a founding partner of Equal Measures 2030 (EM2030), a civil society and private sector partnership focused on data-driven advocacy for accountability on SDG progress for girls and women. EM2030 seeks to connect data and evidence with advocacy and action to help fuel progress towards gender equality, including equipping advocates with evidence to hold governments to account on their commitments. Other EM2030 founding partners include: the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Women’s Health Coalition, KPMG, ONE, Plan International, and Women Deliver.

Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
Data2X has been a member of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) since its founding. As a gender data champion, we highlight gender issues during GPSDD global convenings and events, and provide input on gender data as a part of GPSDD’s country data roadmaps processes.